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This game would also lay the foundation for Persona’s journey into becoming the popular franchise it is today.

By registering Personas, you can recall them at any time for a price. You must re-register as the Persona levels up and gains more Skills to keep what it has learned, but doing so increases the price.

, you choose who you are, how you fight and what you do to write a tale of your own, through and through.

You can journey to the east as a lone sword master and enjoy over cem hours of rich narrative driven exploration of a lush and exotic world filled with exciting adventures.

Reload also includes fully voiced Social Link scenes for the first time, and that works wonders in terms of giving them more weight and value. All romances are optional as well, which wasn't the case in previous versions of Persona 3 (except when playing as the Persona 3 Portable-exclusive female protagonist), and it's pretty wild to think back and realize you used to be forced to have a relationship with every female classmate you got to max rank.

Of course, I can’t talk about Persona 3 Reload’s presentation without giving a shout-out to the soundtrack. Persona 3’s beloved hip-hop and rap-rock soundtrack has been remastered for Persona 3 Reload and even features a couple of new songs.

Along the way, you will need to open treasure chests scattered throughout Tartarus. There are treasure chests that contain loot, which can be sold to give you money to purchase medical supplies and equipment in town, while others can provide you with gear crafting persona 3 reload gameplay materials or rare weapons and armor you won’t find in stores. Some treasure chests even contain cosmetic items that can change your appearance.

Her strengths lie in data collection and analysis, allowing her to support the team from the sidelines. Her unique Persona is Lucia.

All in all, my doubts about diving back into Persona 3 territory were shattered from this demo. Persona 3 Reload isn't a remake with a few alterations here and there; it's a sincerely thought-through updated game that can seemingly stand on its own two legs in the competitive Persona lineup.

Beyond Tartarus, bespoke story-centric boss fights await you on each full moon throughout the story. Although they're relatively quick in how they unfold, all the new mechanics and visual flourishes of Reload give these battles a bit more gravity and spectacle, especially as you inch closer to Persona 3’s bold, daring, and moving conclusion.

Not to mention that spending time with party members in Linked Episodes will reward you with healing items to help you survive longer in battle.

Fights come with a swift momentum that's effortlessly stylized to match the kinetic look and pace of combat. And that's key for a turn-based RPG, keeping things moving and never letting you get bogged down as you go through the motions of what could otherwise feel like pretty similar battles.

The character models are richly detailed, and the cutscenes and battle special effects animations are well-done and flashy, with vibrant and eye-catching environments. Tartarus, in particular, received the most significant visual enhancement, as each major section of the dungeon is now richly detailed with unique architecture, map layouts, and art styles to make them look more distinct, alleviating repetition while exploring them.